Monsanto Verdict Has Major Implications for Those Exposed to Roundup

Could how your lawn lead to your having a chronic illness? If you’ve been a fan of Roundup, using it for years as a consumer or professional, you might want to set up a doctor’s check-up. After all, Monsanto, the maker of the popular product, was just hit with a $289 million judgment for exposing a groundskeeper to the weedkiller.

To be sure, Monsanto has consistently argued that its products, including Roundup, are safe. However, a jury in San Francisco thought otherwise. Their decision to hold Monsanto accountable for the former school worker’s cancer diagnosis opens the door for similar lawsuits. If Roundup is unsafe in one scenario, it might well be unsafe in all scenarios.

Could the Roundup Case Foster Future Lawsuits?

Not surprisingly, other people are coming forward to sue Monsanto for their own or a loved one’s cancer diagnosis or death after using Roundup, but it’s not the only dangerous product out there. The main ingredient of Roundup is glyphosate, a compound that the World Health Organization (WHO) called “probably carcinogenic” in early 2015. Although Roundup might be one of the most popular products to feature glyphosate, it’s by no means the only place that glyphosate is found or used.

Many other herbicides also choose glyphosate to quickly destroy unwanted plants. Some studies have even suggested that glyphosate may be discoverable in everything from Cheerios to varieties of Quaker Oats. This brings up two questions: How does it get in grain-based foods, and how much are consumers potentially eating?

As to the first question, the obvious suggestion is that the glyphosate found its way into perishables by way of agricultural glyphosate usages. For the answer to the second question, we turn to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for insight.

Currently, the EPA sets safety standards on glyphosate residue limits. However, many concerned citizens say their regulations aren’t stringent enough. In fact, some groups insist that any glyphosate is too much, urging a ban of the compound instead of mere limits.

What to Do If You’ve Been Exposed to Glyphosate

Like any emerging issue, the Monsanto-Roundup-Glyphosate California trial is getting major attention from legal scholars and professionals. At the same time, plenty of homeowners and landscapers are concerned for their health, worrying about the potential for Roundup to cause Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma like that of the victim who was awarded $289 million.

At this point, if you or someone you care about has been exposed to glyphosate through Roundup or another weed-killing product and subsequently developed cancer or another chronic or fatal condition, you may want to sit down with a product liability lawyer. It never hurts to get the opinion of someone who is studying this area of the law closely and who can provide you with well-considered advice and guidance.

Living in or near the Philadelphia, PA, area? Wapner Newman’s legal team members are ready to help you determine whether you’ve been exposed to an unsafe chemical that has been linked to cancer or other illnesses. Contact us today.